Arkholme Church of England Primary School

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 3 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Arkholme, Carnforth, LA6 1AUOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Arkholme Church of England Primary School is a primary school in Carnforth for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 692 schools in Lancashire. It ranks 323rd of 444 primary schools in Lancashire. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 23 April 2024, report published 12 June 2024

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 April 2024

Pupils are cherished at this small and friendly school. Staff are committed to helping pupils to gain a strong sense of community and belonging. Pupils feel confident to be themselves in the school's supportive atmosphere. They said that they are proud of their school. They are happy and feel safe. The school has high expectations of pupils' achievement. Pupils live up to these expectations. They apply themselves during lessons and achieve well. Pupils enjoy learning together. For example, the whole school recently enjoyed studying the same book and sharing their work with each other. Pupils make a strong contribution to the calm environment of the school. They are polite and well mannered. Pupils have respectful relationships with staff, who care for them well. In the early years, children settle quickly into school routines. Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips and visits. They enjoy visiting new places to learn about life beyond their village. Pupils have visited places further afield and have enjoyed trips to the seaside, the theatre and a museum.

What the school should improve

  • In some subjects, the school has not ensured that staff deliver the curriculum consistently well. As a result, some activity choices do not help pupils to develop and deepen their knowledge over time. The school should support staff to implement the curriculum as intended.
  • The school has not ensured that staff have the expertise to support pupils who struggle to keep up with the phonics programme. As a result, some pupils do not gain the phonics knowledge that they need quickly enough. The school should ensure that teachers are provided with sufficient training to enable them to overcome gaps in pupils' phonics knowledge.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

12 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths42%

42%, 20 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths0%

0%, 8 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score109

109, 3 above the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score102

102, 3 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score104

104, 1 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

102 pupils on roll, with places for 112

Eligible for free school meals2%

2%, 24.5 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language0%

0%, 21.6 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support18.6%

18.6%, 3.8 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan5.9%

5.9%, 0.1 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Arkholme Church of England Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Melling St Wilfrid Church of England Primary School1 mileOfsted: Good50% met the expected standard
Hornby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School2 milesOfsted: Requires improvement55% met the expected standard
Wray with Botton Endowed Primary School3 milesOfsted: Good50% met the expected standard
Over Kellet Wilson's Endowed Church of England Primary School4 milesOfsted: Good70% met the expected standard
Burton Morewood CofE Primary School4 milesOfsted: Good60% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Voluntary aided school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
3 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Mr David Prescott
Address
Arkholme, Carnforth, LA6 1AU
Local authority
Lancashire
URN
119523

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.